DON'T PRAY, THINK.
Don't pray, think. Social commentary in response to "Pray for Paris".
When tragedy strikes, there's a rush to express support and grief. Time goes by, and inevitably we move on too. Then, it happens again, and the cycle repeats. We pray, after. We cry, after. We unite, after. Wouldn't it be more effective to do it before? And, with all due respect to the religious, what help is prayer? It's the 21st Century. Can't we think instead? And shouldn't we do that before disaster hits, too? About effecting change. About influencing our future? I pray that we can.
2016, Boston, MA, USA
"Pray for Paris" is a hashtag activism movement that spurred from terrorist attacks on Paris the night of November 13, 2015. The attacks, orchestrated by ISIS, were aimed at Stade de France, La Petit Cambodge and Le Carillion, Café Bonne Biere, La Belle Equipe, Comptoir Voltaire, and Bataclan; around 130 people died and many more were injured. People took to such social media as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to express grief in unison by using the hashtag #PrayForParis